Nostalgic Handmade | Firm

Last week, we looked at our first Nostalgic Handmade which was their water-based formula, and in short, it was amazing. Today, we'll be taking a look at their oil-based, firm-hold formula. I tried it out a few times this week and was thoroughly impressed. However, when I tried it for this review, I think I let my hair dry and settle in a bad position which made styling difficult. To be fair, I'll try to allow all my experiences inform this review.

Design

Once again. The design work is on-point. I can't remember exactly what game is being referenced, but I can say...it's definitely a game I sucked at. I just remember being really bad at this one. Anyways, the design work is very comprehensive and all packaged into a consistent image. Purple plastic jar. Four ounces.

Scent

Cocoa Puffs. I'm not talking about real chocolate. I'm talking about that fake powdered chocolate smell, and it is fucking spot on. This was actually my favorite cereal as a child. Damn.

Consistency

It is actually very firm -- to the point that you will be challenged to get it out of the jar. For the experienced user, this is difficult but not impossible, but for the new user, this may prove to be very tough for you.

Application

However, breaking it down is a whole other story. It breaks down into a buttery cream that applies very easily. Once you feel the pomade in the jar and then feel it broken down in your palms, you'll be very surprised.

Shine

The shine is a notch above neutral. Just enough to show that you have product in your hair.

Slickness

Similar to the shine, it's slick enough to keep everything nice and tight, but not at all greasy or weighted.

Strength

Alright. This is where the controversy resides. When I tried this pomade out earlier this week, I got some crazy ass volume out of it. But, during this review, I had a hard time working with it. I think I accidentally allowed too much time between getting out of the shower and styling my hair, which allowed it to dry into an undesirable shape. This is best revealed by the waviness you see in my hair. That is NEVER visible when I style normally.

So, in this review, you'll see moderate hold. But, if you're willing to take my word for it, then I'm telling you it's possible to get A LOT more hold than what you're seeing right now.

Control

The control is predictable as an oil-based pomade. Wax is usually very grippy and difficult to work with, but the presence of oils help to lubricate the situation. This is what the mango butter does primarily.

Endurance

This is a firm pomade in regard to its hold, consistency, and styling characteristics, but I wouldn't say so with it's endurance. This comes with some ups and downs.

Restyling

As with most other oil-based pomade, restyling is very accessible and necessary.

Greasiness

Definitely not a greasy pomade. We're seeing this trend that even the oil-based pomades are no longer all greasy and nasty. I'm very grateful for this trend.

Rinsing

For me, it actually washed out in one shampoo and rinse. I'd guess for most people, it'll take either one or two showers to remove completely. This is remarkable given it's an oil-based pomade.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a good oil-based pomade. I wish I could have showed you guys the pompadour I got from it during the week, but I'd like to adhere to a strict code of honesty with you all. I've never canceled a review and purposely filmed only when it looked good, so I'm not going to start that now.

Nostalgic Handmade is a very solid oil-based pomade that is well-balanced. I think the wax content can be increased even more to solidify its firmness, but that will have to be balanced to keep its consistency in check. Dave took on a very tough concept with developing a firm oil-based pomade. I do think his ability to keep the pomade's weight to be light is quite amazing.

If you're interested in check out this product for yourself, be sure to use our promo code THEPOMP to save some money. Buy direct and support these small businesses!